Page 177 - Phoenix1998-99

6,1999 Working to combat Student dealer addresses AIDS apathy drug problem at WMC BY JENIFER SIRius dents. "College students have a Student drug dealer claims to make over $30,000 a year New!iEdilor feeling of invincibility," she said. "They don't believe that HIV or selling drugs, disputes administration s view on drug issue When students are asked if they AIDS is going to affect their are worried about contracting HTV, world." though." He added, ~'Ido know kids the virus that causes AIDS, a fre- Janet Keymetian, past-pres i- BY MAn' THOMi\S AND on campus who use drugs like ers of the supposed dealer. quent response is, "AIDS? That dent of ASAP agrees. "[WMC stu- JULIE DEVELIN coke, crystal meth, and heroin." Efforts to contact Campus won 'I happen to me," Although sev- dents] don't seem to realize that StalfWriters Some may suspect this self-pro- Safety Director Mike Webster for eral groups attempt to educate they could become infected them- Editor's Note: The story below is claimed drug dealer of exaggerat- comments last Friday were unsuc- WMC students on HIV and AIDS, selves. The problem may be that the second part of a two part se- ing his story, but five students fa- cessful. In an earlier interview, he it appears that protecting oneself HIV/AIDS is not a trendy topic ries on drug use at WMC. Part one, miliar with his activities confirmed said, "I don't think that any con- from AIDS is not a top priority. anymore. A lot of young people which did not appear in' its entirety trolled substances [other than mari- However, WMC students may seem to think that the [HIV/AIDS] juana] are used to an extent that in the April have reason to be worried. In the crisis is over. Or worse, they seem puter error, IS issue due to a com- 2 HI don't think that they become a problem." appears on page spring of 1995, a survey was con- to think that AZT and other drugs any controlled However, the self-proclaimed dueled ofWMC students by ASAP: are a cure." along with a related story. to drug dealer stated that he sells al- who claims A WMC student AIDS Support, Awareness, and Pre- In order co combat this notion be the "biggest drug dealer on cam- substances [other most half as much shrooms as he vention, an AIDS peer education of invincibility, the WMC commu- pus" told The Phoenix last week than marijuana) are does por in a week. "I sell roughly group on campus. The survey found nity has taken several steps in that he made an estimated $30,000 two ounces of pot in a week, and that 80 percent of students surveyed hopes of promoting AIDS aware- this year selling drugs. used to an extent an ounce or more of shrooms," he admitted to being sexually active. ness on campus. The student spoke to The Phoe- said. Of them, only 43 percent used a In order to help increase aware- nix on the condition of anonymity. that they become a While a few ounces a week condom consistently, and 43 per- ness Bosley was named Health He also requested that it be made problem ." might not seem like a lot of drugs, cent had four or more sexual part- Education Coordinator, ASAP has clear that his intention in being in- the supposed dealer said, "It's put ners. developed a peer education pro- terviewed is not to brag, but 10 Mike Webster, Director of me through school." Though he In addition, according to the gram, an AIDS testing clinic is clarify questions of drug use at Campus Safety admitted that some of his college AIDS Information Center, an online present on campus. and Resident WMC. costs were taken care of via other version of the Journal of the Ameri- Assistants have condoms available He claims that he sells only psy- sources, he claimed revenues of can Medical Association, it is esti- for students who ask for them. As chedelic drugs, ranging from acid his claims in separate interviews. about $70,000 from selling drugs last year. mated that one in every four new the health educator, Bosley fre- to shrooms, ecstasy to pot. The students spoke to The Phoenix HIV infections occur in-people un- quently lectures to classes about "J don't sell physically addic- Contacted before the alleged der 25 years of age. AIDS education and serves as the tive drugs," he said. "You can get on condition of anonymity. The dealer was interviewed, Westmin- in no way means to insinu- Phoenix Dean These statistics concur with a advisor to ASAP. t,hem at the [local] high school, ate that these students are custom- ster police Captain 011 page 2 Brewer Continued national trend in AIDS awareness. Lecturing to students is impor- "We are seeing across the nation tant because it provides the stu- 'AIDS apathy," explained Bonnie dents with current and accurate in- WMCR Bosley, health education coordina- formation, Bosley said. "There is tor at WMC. "The AIDS movement a lot of misinformation out there," Fest rocks has cooled down recently." she added. It also takes away the Bosley explained that people are stigma of asking questions about not as interested in hearing about HIV IAIDS. Students are in an aca- Red Square AIDS anymore; this has led to not demic setting, so they can ask a taking the possibility of contracting question for "academic purposes" BY EMILY STAMATHIS AIDS seriously. She said that a gen- when a question may really be for EdilorinChiej eral feeling of 'AIDS apathy' is es- "personal ones" Bosley said. The music of the first annual pecially true in college-age stu- Her lectures include a descrip- WMCR Fest called the students of tion of the difference between HIV Western Maryland College out of and AIDS, the progression of HIV their dorms and into Red Square on Inside to AIDS, and the ways that students Saturday, May I, into the sunshine safer sex. "Some stu- can practice of one of the most beautiful days some (3·)··1"'4,'6'" dents do know a lot, but [high] of the year so far. The day-long by don't. what It depends and organized event, sponsored Robin J. Sinex comments on the school or county they come from." WMCR radio, provided non-stop shootings at Columbine "_So in In the past five years, ASAP musical acts from 4 pm until mid- Littleton, Colorado, and how it members have worked to develop night. affects non-conformists. a comprehensive AIDS education Ten bands created the lineup of ,Wli"i '1 program. Members when she lec- the music festival. The acts repre- of ASAP ac- company Bosley sented a variety of ties 10 the WMC Recent graduates Jonathan tures, as well as perform the peer community, either with current stu- Shaeat '98 and Christian WH- education program when asked. dents, alumni, professors, or in the wohl '98 discuss their experi- ASAP members are educated on case of twoof the bands. friends of ences abroad. AIDS at the beginning of every WMCR. The headlining act of the "I resource for students for accurate SpJitsville. @ifF school year and are available as a day was the popular local band information AIDS, Scoreboard: Get the slats on all as to distribute about condoms. as well The afternoon kicked off with your favorite Green Terror play- Pariah and Second Thought, each The peer education program Studio pimpin' ain 't easy: Eric Barry aka Cheazy-E drew one of the featuring WMC students. They Continued on page 5 biggest crowds of the WMCR·Fest Continued on page S